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IgnitionApplication · Inductiveautomation

CVE-2022-35873

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-07-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Inductive Automation Ignition 8.1.15 (b2022030114). User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the processing of ZIP files. Crafted data in a ZIP file can cause the application to execute arbitrary Python scripts. The user interface fails to provide sufficient indication of the hazard. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-16949.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This vulnerability in Inductive Automation Ignition 8.1.15 allows remote code execution through malicious ZIP files containing crafted Python scripts. The application processes ZIP archives without proper validation of contents, enabling arbitrary Python script execution when a user opens a malicious file. The vulnerability executes in SYSTEM context.

MitigationRestrict handling of untrusted ZIP files until vendor patch is applied; implement file content validation and sandboxing for archive processing; train users to avoid opening untrusted files given the required user interaction.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
IgnitionApplication
Affected:= 8.1.15

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Ignition version
    Check the installed Inductive Automation Ignition version through the Gateway status page, About section, or by inspecting the installation manifest. On Windows, this is typically found in the Gateway under Status > Gateway > About, or check the install directory for version files.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 8.1.15
  2. Confirm ZIP file processing is accessible
    Identify if users or automated processes can submit ZIP files to the Ignition Gateway. This includes checking for any projects, scripts, or modules that accept archive uploads, particularly through the Designer, Perspective, or Gateway webhook endpoints.
    Affected if The Gateway accepts or processes ZIP archive uploads from users without content validation enabled
  3. Review recent ZIP file imports
    Examine Gateway logs, script execution logs, and project import history for any recent ZIP file imports. Check logs for entries containing 'ZIP', 'archive', 'import', or Python script execution patterns.
    Affected if There are recent records of ZIP file imports or archive processing in the logs
  4. Assess system exposure
    Determine if the Ignition Gateway is accessible over the network to external users or if it processes files from untrusted sources. Check firewall rules and authentication requirements for any endpoints that handle file uploads.
    Affected if The Gateway is network-accessible to untrusted users or accepts files from external/untested sources

A system is affected if it runs Ignition version 8.1.15 and processes ZIP archives from users or external sources without validation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict handling of untrusted ZIP files until vendor patch is applied; implement file content validation and sandboxing for archive processing; train users to avoid opening untrusted files given the required user interaction.

Fix this in Ignition Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation24.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
50.0 hours of engineering $8,800
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-35873 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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